


Unlocked Doors

by firewolfsg



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Harry Potter References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-08 00:22:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11635044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firewolfsg/pseuds/firewolfsg
Summary: Long ago, Hotch believed his mother sealed a door of opportunity for him in her efforts to save him from his abusive father. Garcia proved to him that it had never been completely closed.Set up in Season 6, and an AU interpretation of how Hotch and Jack escaped into Witness Protection in Season 12.





	Unlocked Doors

**From S06_Ep07**

> _Prentis: Whoa._
> 
> _Garcia: Welcome to the 21st century. Yay, technology. Behold. Everyone has a new tablet._
> 
> _Reid: We've gone paperless?_
> 
> _Garcia: Fear not, doctor of the dark ages. I went old school for your anti-technology quirk. Paper files, hard copy photos. But the abacus is your responsibility._
> 
> _Hotch: Garcia, not that I don't appreciate your efforts, but exactly where did the funding for these come from?_
> 
> _Garcia: I did a Thing._
> 
> _Hotch: A Thing?_
> 
> _Garcia: Best not talk about the Thing._
> 
> _Hotch: We'll talk about the Thing later._
> 
> _Garcia: Ok._

 

* * *

 

It was later and Penelope was not looking forward to the talk about the Thing. Not especially when it touched upon an aspect of both their lives which the other members of the team couldn't be allowed to know about. Having a sense that this Thing was involved with that secret they both shared, Hotch took the precaution of having Jess take care of Jack for the night and invited Penelope to his apartment for dinner.

At the least, the stew, baked potatoes and steamed veggies which Hotch made for them was pleasant and homely; something meant to make one feel at ease. However, Penelope felt anything but at ease as she faced her boss over their empty plates.

"The Thing, Penelope?" Hotch opened the proceedings. "Does this by chance have anything to do with that bracelet I let you have?"

"Sir, I took all precautions to make sure I wasn't followed and really--" Penelope picked up her purse to rummage through it. "Here."

Both of Hotch's eyebrows rose to his hairline as he stared at the receipt Penelope handed him. "I-- don't understand. It-- It was just a trifling thing I made..."

"Aaron, you made it with love for Haley." Penelope told him softly. "Maybe it's because your magic's all bound up inside you and you don't feel much of it, but other witches and wizards can sense the strength of the protective wards you wove into it.

"It was masterful craftsmanship, Aaron. When I brought it in for assessment, I also took the liberty to patent the design and construction for you. This is just the first payment." Penelope waved at the receipt in his hand. "I didn't think you'd mind too much if I used a bit of it for our team. There's still more than enough there for Jack's schooling if he-- if his magic awakens."

"Penelope..."

She knew what he was thinking; that if what she was saying was true- that if Haley had only kept the charm. If she had worn it that day when Foyet caught up with her...

Jack had his little pendant that he wore under his clothes. Aaron would be forever grateful that Haley had allowed their son to keep it. They found evidence that Foyet had tried to locate Jack after he killed Haley. The pendant kept him concealed and protected from danger, just like Aaron had intended when he made it.

"Your runes and spell work are truly the best I've ever seen, Sir." Penelope told him earnestly, "I know you've never really believed me, but it's true. Your power's only-- bound in--"

"In protection--" Aaron stared at the receipt. "I know what the medi witches all say about my condition, Penelope.

"Foyet-- what he did to me-- He didn't intend to kill me, but he could have. He nearly did. The cuts, the stab wounds, the blood loss-- the shock alone should have killed me."

The injuries didn't though and because of his mother's spell work, Aaron even healed and recovered faster than anyone expected. Morgan and Rossi were certainly watching him rather closely when he returned to work after a mere 35 days medical leave. Even Strauss had unobtrusively hovered in worry and rather blatantly suggested he confined himself to desk duty for a few weeks more.

"Oh, Aaron... I'm-- well... About the bracelet? Er-- it-- it sort of caught the attention of the Council again."

"Pe-ne-lo-pe." Hotch moaned as he pinched the skin between his eyes. "It took me forever to shake off their attention from misplaced guilt.

"Misplaced?! Sir! Their negligence was criminal! If they hadn't--"

Hotch held up his hand to her with a pained grimace to stop her from continuing. Penelope closed her mouth with an almost audible snap. She well knew that Hotch had probably gone down this path far too many times to want to rehash what he considered ancient history. He blamed no one else for the misfortune of his mother's desperate love in hiding his magic from his now long deceased bastard of a muggle father, whom she had once given up her magic for.

"Sir, you can't cast spells but your rune work is astounding, and the arithmancy you wove into the knot work was breath-taking." Penelope told him. "No one would believe the bracelet wasn't created by a Master in runes. So, you see, Aaron, there *is* a place in that world for you too if you'd only recognise it."

"And the Council asked you to persuade me to demonstrate my skill?" Hotch asked her warily.

"No. That bracelet was already proof enough of your skill; raw power and mastery untouched by any formal education or advanced training in rune theory." Penelope took a deep breath, "Aaron, they want me to persuade you to take up formal studies towards a Grand Master's degree in Runes."

Hotch blinked at her. "Penelope? I--I don't even have a wand!"

"Which apparently only gets in the way of true artists of rune magic, Aaron. You have the eye and unconscious understanding most Masters would envy. There is only one rune Grand Master in all of the Americas, Aaron. He's on the council and he desperately wants to meet you."

"Penelope, I-- really am quite content in my current status as a Unit Chief of the BAU."

"Oh, Aaron. They're not asking you to give up the FBI. This is enrichment and further studies."

"But--"

"Grand Master Jerome is willing to wait as long as you want for you to agree to be his student." Penelope interrupted him. "He said he remembers you and hope you remember him too. He's waited centuries for a student, so waiting another muggle lifespan isn't too much."

Hotch frowned as he leaned against his hand across from her, but Penelope could see she was reaching him. While Hotch's magic was bound within him because of his mother's spells, which thankfully freed him from the tech bane that plagued the magical community and allowed him to live near unnoticed by the muggles, he still had a wizard's lifespan.

He was approaching his mid-50s, and already starting to worry about how slowly he was beginning to visibly age. They had often enough quietly talked about measures to gradually alter his appearance without triggering suspicious. The team had even walked in on their discussion on hair dye once, though fortunately they misunderstood to think the discussion was about hiding advancing age and not emulating it.

Morgan had of course suggested shaving it all off and not worrying about it, while Rossi's opinion was to accept and let the grey and white hairs come as they may. However, Reid and the ladies' discussion on various brands and non-damaging hair dye ingredients was quite enlightening and helpful. And so Hotch now used a hair cream that he could brush and leave in his hair, though Penelope helped him alter it to do the opposite of its originally prescribed purpose.

Still, they knew they couldn't stay in the FBI forever. Hotch had maybe another fifteen to twenty years before he'd be expected to retire. Furthermore, they both knew it was better that he lay low and not draw too much senior level attention when it came time to leave, so he was never going to strive for higher office.

It rather amused Penelope that much of Strauss's frustration with Hotch was because she wanted to promote him to an Assistant Section Chief position and he was refusing to follow her succession plans. So, while others who didn't know the details saw it as her trying to remove him from the BAU, it was actually Hotch dodging the promotion since he would have to leave field work and the BAU to take up the Assistant Section Chief position.

Penelope knew that Hotch worried about what to do with his life after the FBI and how he'd be able to continue to hide in the muggle community. However, this suggestion she was offering was-- it was huge. Penelope could really see Hotch excelling and thriving as a student of runes magic with a minor in arithmancy. And being taken in as an apprentice by a Grand Master? That was an offer Penelope couldn't see anyone sanely refusing.

"I-- I never thought I could have any place in that community, Penelope." Hotch confessed to her quietly.

"You can do it, Hotch." She pushed aside the plates to take his hand in hers. "I know you can. The council believes this too. They told me that they hadn't wanted you to leave when you did. Casting spells with a wand isn't the be all and end all of witches and wizards. They all knew there was an untapped potential in you, just that they didn't know how to reach or free it yet."

"Master Jerome said he'd thought he saw a spark in you when he watched you trying out the classes in runes."

"I gave it two years of my youth, Penelope." Hotch told her softly as his eyes seemed to look far away at a memory. "It was two years of frustration and pity... I couldn't stomach any more.

"Sean was born a squib and mother didn't want to return to the community. We were comfortable living as muggles."

"But still you couldn't stay entirely away and you dabbled with Runes, Aaron. And you made this masterful construct recognised by the most discerning of high wizards."

"You really think I can do this?"

"Absolutely!" Penelope told him firmly. "One more thing, Master Jerome wanted to me to make sure I tell you this. He said he accidentally broke his own wand about half a century ago and just never bothered to get a new one. That he's never missed it and he's never felt for the lack of it. He thinks it'll be especially gratifying to teach someone who doesn't care for wands and who won't accidentally poke out his eye waving the useless thing around."

That drew a dimple out. "I'm-- considering..."

"Sir, may I?" Penelope showed him a small stone tablet no larger than her palm which had runes lining its entire surface.

At Hotch's hesitant nod, Penelope quickly moved to the door of his hall closet and placed the tablet on its surface. She gave it three taps in quick succession followed by two slow taps and again three quick taps. The reaction was instantaneous as light quickly lined the edges of the door and the knob turned.

"Aaron my boy, have you agreed?" A white haired, rotund and cheery wizard in deep blue robes barged through the door.

"Master J?" Penelope had never seen that much animation on Hotch's face before, but there was no mistaking the astonishment which painted his features.

"You remember me too!" The delight displayed by this man couldn't be faked.

"You-- you gave me that book." Hotch moved away from the kitchen table to approach the man. "Everything I know about runes, I learned from that book."

"Bless you! You paid attention to the writings on the edges as much to the text, didn't you?"

"Yes, it made the text clearer and at times corrected the printed material, but..."

"You wrote into the book too? There were passages you felt you could better explain?"

"No, I wrote on paper and numbered the page references--"

The old wizard clapped with glee. "Excellent, that book has long needed further development and corrections, Aaron. My Master wrote that book and the notes are mine, he's long asked me to update it. If you're willing I'd like you to co-author it with me as part of your apprenticeship."

Aaron just stood there stunned and staring at them for so long Penelope and Master Jerome started to worry about him.

"Sir?"

"Aaron?"

"Gi-- sorry, I-- it's taking me a bit to process all this." Hotch told them slowly. "A-- after I left the Salem Institute, I never-- I never let myself consider-- the life of magic I could have had-- this was-- the bracelet was-- I just wanted to make something for Haley-- something unique that you couldn't buy. I wanted something meaningful. Jack's pendant was the same."

"Aaron, my dear boy." Jerome stepped closer to take his hands. "There was a life for you in the magical community all along. I was so furious with the idiots for letting you walk away and disappear into the world of muggles. Those useless wand waving imbeciles could not imagine or understand the potential I'd seen in you.

"Not that you've done badly in the muggle community, as I understand it. Penelope told us about the FBI and your position as Unit Chief, *and* your refusal to accept any further promotions so as to avoid higher office and the attention that comes from it.

"Aaron, this profiling and the BAU? Can you not see how your inherent talent in Runes could have led you to seek this profession?"

"Pattern matching..."

"And more the intrinsic understanding of human behaviour and language." Jerome told him fervently. "You have the eyes and the skill to observe and weave magic, Aaron. You don't need any foolish wand waving.

"Your simple expression of love and protection has our whole community in an uproar. Penelope had the right idea to patent the design and construction for you. The royalties will ensure your son the best education money can buy in either muggle or magical community and give you a solid nest of wealth which will let you enter academia without a care of worry about income or tenure."

"I-- don't know what to say..."

"Oh, my child. I'm overwhelming and frightening you."

That statement shook Hotch enough to give them a grimace of protest. However, Penelope noted that her boss hadn't objected to the use of the word 'child' in reference to him. To be fair though, Master Jerome was positively ancient and did have the right to think of them as children in comparison to his age. The grinning Technical Analyst and sometime witch thought it a good thing for Hotch to have this new genial father figure in his life.

"Master J... I--I'd be honoured to take up your offer, but--"

The old wizard looked shrewdly around him. "But you need to discuss this with your son first. It will be a huge upheaval in your life to give up this career and mortal life to fully embrace a new one in our community."

"Yes--I'm sorr--"

"Merlin's beard! There's nothing to be sorry for. This is forethought and responsibility to your child."

"Thank you, Master J..."

"As I've said, I've already waited over a century. What is a human life time? Besides, I suspect you will make a decision before a decade passes." The older man gave him a knowing look.

Aaron sucked in a sudden breath at the reminder that his son may follow his genes instead of his wife's. Would Jack receive a Salem Institution letter? Only time would tell.

* * *

Yes... The timing could not have been worse for the BAU for Aaron to consider leaving, but he had to be honest with himself. He was tired and needed a break.

After the episode with Mr. Scratch, Aaron had been stressing himself out with worries and doubts over whether a time bomb had been left in his head. He’d already investigated the limits of what science and conventional medicine could do, but his worries and fears couldn’t be soothed.

Then there was also the revelation that Jack had spotted a suspicious looking stranger watching him at the school yard. The School had called him, and Aaron had informed his Director before he rushed out of work to pick him up.

Aaron had shared a picture of Peter Lewis with Jess and Jack both when he’d first heard that the man was among those who escaped prison. He wasn’t going to be caught out again in the way same way Foyet managed to get close to Haley. Jack was sure this was the man who tried to approach him in the school yard before he ran straight to the teachers.

Aaron had agonised during the ride home over the thought that he had to take Jack, maybe even Jess and Roy Brooks, and disappear into Witness Protection for his and his son’s safety. His boss was already calling the necessary people and making the arrangements…

Then Aaron and Jack entered their home to be greeted by an owl with a letter clutched in its beak. Jack’s mouth dropped open in excitement, his worries and fears suddenly falling away in the face of this fantastic news.

“Dad! Dad! It’s my Letter! I got a Letter!” Jack leaped down from his father’s arms to rush toward the bird who easily relinquished the special letter to him.

Aaron almost sat down on the floor where he had been standing in relief. In his stress and worry about his work, he’d forgotten about the Salem Institute… The School of magic… Master Jerome… the offer…

He only came back to himself when Jack ran up to him brandishing the letter and showing him the Letter of acceptance into the Salem Institute. “I’m a wizard, Dad! I can learn magic! I can be like you!”

“Jack!” Aaron hugged him relief. “Yes, yes. We can go to Salem. We’ll be safe there.”

“Oh! That—that bad man wouldn’t be able to reach us there? Really?”

“We will also have better guards there, Jack.” Aaron shared his hopes with his son honestly. “I asked Garcia to check when we first encountered him. She’s pretty sure he isn’t anywhere on the wizard records, so we should be able to leave him behind.

“But Jack—you do understand you can’t ever contact the friends we’re leaving behind?”

“Yes, I can! Rose, Qian Lee and Conner are expecting their letters too. I’ll still have them at the Salem Institute.”

“That’s—that’s great!” Aaron almost choked in his happy shock. Of course, there would be other children who would get letters too.

“I’ll be all right, Dad. We’ll still have friends where we’re going. We’ll be safe and you can study with Master Jerome like you’ve been looking forward to.” Jack told him solemnly. “This is a good thing for both of us. Maybe—Maybe the medi witches can help Grandpa Roy too?”

Could they? Would Jess and Roy thank him for uprooting them as well? It would be a world better than Witness Protection.

Coming to his feet again with his son on his hip, Aaron reached for the tablet which Garcia had left on his hall closet so many years ago and tapped a familiar sequence. The edges of the storeroom glowed.

“Aaron, my boy!” Master Jerome came striding in almost as soon as the glowing stopped. “We last connected two months ago. We’re early for another visit? Has something happened?”

“Master Jerome, thank you for coming through so quickly.” Arron greeted with relief. “And yes, some—things have happened. The good news is that Jack got his letter.”

“Ahh! I never doubted it.” Master Jerome reached over to shake Jack’s hand. “Congratulations, young man! Are you ready for a magical adventure?!”

“You bet!” Jack waved the letter in his other hand as he excitedly shook hands with the old wizard.

“The bad news is—there’s a killer after us and we have to leave as soon as we can arrange it.” Aaron sighed wryly. “So, I guess, I’m also ready to take up this second vocation full time now.”

From his expression, Aaron knew Master Jerome wasn’t quite sure whether to be grim or overjoyed that Aaron was finally ready to walk away from the BAU to join him. “It’s all right to be happy. The years haven’t exactly been kind and I honestly have been thinking of retirement for a few months now.

"I’m—I’m not sad about it. I will miss my team and the wor—well, some aspects of the work, but I think I’m ready to just escape into libraries and studying, and start something new there. Academia sounds very attractive to me right now.”

“And you’ll be nearby, right dad? My school won’t be that far from your university?”

“The whole town is a centre of learning, lad.” Master Jerome assured him. “Nowhere is more than 5 minutes away, because of the many port key stations.”

“All right, so what do we need to do.”

“Let me make a few calls, and have them get the necessary agencies in touch with your FBI director.” Master Jerome assured him. “We can have you packed up and safely out of here within the hour.”

“Whoa! That fast?”

“We have magic, lad.” Master Jerome winked at them as he waved towards the door he had come through. “Come, just to be safe. Let’s go back to my office and we’ll make arrangements from there.”

Aaron started with a slight shock that he’d almost forgotten about Peter Lewis still at large somewhere nearby and having been after Jack. There were FBI guards surrounding his apartment now, but… Yes, Master Jerome was right, he’d feel a lot safer in the Grand Master’s Salem office than in his home in Virginia right now.

A buzzing in his pocket distracted him for a moment. “Oh.” Aaron looked at the number. Dave… “Master Jerome, could you take Jack first? I have to take this call—probably the last time I can ever use a device like this for a long time.”

“Of course, my boy. I’m sure there are some you would rather speak to than write.”

“Yes. Yes, there are…” Aaron put Jack on the floor and gave his son’s hand into Master Jerome’s grip. “Be good, Jack. I’ll catch up with you shortly.”

“See you later, Dad. Don’t be long.” Jack waved as he passed through the door into the magical office beyond.

Aaron picked up the call. “Dave?”

“Aaron! Are you and Jack okay?” His old friend’s worried voice came though clearly. “Fickler called me, told me about that bastard Lewis turning up at Jack’s school.”

“Jack’s with me, Dave. But you know what this means, right?” Aaron told him with some sadness. “We’ve got to go.”

“I—I know… I understand.”

“Take care of the team, Dave. Tell them that it’s been an honour.”

“Aaron…”

“Thank you, Dave. For your friendship and support.” Aaron could feel himself choke up a bit with this farewell, this man had been his mentor and his oldest friend in the FBI. The one who recruited him. It didn’t seem right that Aaron was now going to permanently leaving the BAU before him. “I’ll write if I can, through secure channels.”

“Now Aaron, don’t endan—“

“I won’t. You know I won’t risk Jack’s safety.” Aaron grinned a little. Dave could never guess in his wildest dreams how his and Jack’s lives were about to change. “You take care, old man.”

“You too, Aaron. You too. Say bye to Jack for me.”

“I will. He’ll miss his Uncle Dave.” Aaron let out a long sigh, reluctant to hang up, but he knew he had to. “Good bye, Dave.”

“Aaron…”

Aaron hung up and placed the cell phone on the table. Where he was going, he wouldn’t be able to use it.

This was as bad a time to leave BAU as he could have chosen with Scratch on the loose and so many other serial killers that had once been incarcerated freed… But he had lost Haley, it was time to be selfish to keep Jack safe.

Prentis had taken the role of Senior Agent in the BAU for a couple of months now. Aaron was confident she could transition easily into Unit Chief. He was leaving the BAU in good hands—the best he could have ever wished For.

Aaron was quite sure he’d hear about it. There was no way Garcia wasn’t going to come storming down on him in a few months when the dust settled and he could get word to her that it was safe enough to visit. He knew she was expecting Jack to get his letter too, but she certainly wasn’t expecting Aaron to also disappear to boarding school with him.  Still, he was sure she wouldn’t begrudge him his actions for keeping Jack and what was left of Haley’s family safe.

Chasing serial killers... Aaron realised that he wanted a quiet life now. Sink himself into the world of academia in a society which was a part of his heritage. A heritage his muggle father had once tried to beat out of him a long time ago… A heritage his mother had tried to block him from in an effort to save him from his father’s rage and fear… A heritage he could now fully embrace under the tutelage of a kind Grand Master eager for his company. He was ready.

Turning away from the phone on the table, Aaron walked though his hall closet door and into his teacher’s office; taking the first steps into his new life.

End


End file.
